Friday, 28 November 2008

Surveys have found that 36 per cent of computer users have between six and 15 passwords to remember; a further 18 per cent have more than 15 unique identifiers to memorise. Research from the Burton Group suggests that the average user can spend up to 15 minutes every day logging on to separate applications – which adds up to 65 weekday hours spent entering user IDs and passwords each year. The Gartner Group estimates that 25 to 35 per cent of calls made to IT helpdesks are password related at an estimated cost of around $25 - $35 a call, adding millions to the support bill at larger companies.

Wednesday, 26 November 2008

The tagline for the Bata Shoe Museum is "For the Curious". It's anappropriate motto, as this provocative museum in Toronto contains over10,000 shoes within its prodigious holdings. The museum opened in 1995, andvisitors to this site can traipse through sections such as "Exhibitions" and"Collections" to learn more about their interpretive mission and theirthematic areas. Most visitors will want to start by looking at the onlineexhibit "All About Shoes". Developed in cooperation with the Department ofCanadian Heritage, the collection allows visitors to view over 500 shoeimages, 200 of which are in 3D. Short of actually picking up the actualshoes themselves, this is a very effective and immersive way to examiningthe intricate patterns and designs on each item of footwear. Moving on,visitors can also check out the podcasts by assistant curator Sarah Beam-Borg. In recent months, Borg has offered up talks and commentary on "Dancingthrough the Halls of History" and "The Fate of Fashion". Finally, interestedparties may also wish to check out the "Visiting" area to learn about themuseum's hours of operation, special events, and so on.

Friday, 21 November 2008

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off intraffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that dayand is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundryand spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested youngman who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old collegestudent, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear ofnot getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in thesame spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave toaddictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slowthrough the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress aresavoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she gotback last week, this will be the last year that they go shoppingtogether.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you giveus, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that lovewith those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who areclose tous, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive,show patience, empathy and love.

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of theworld, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutelynothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the birdand see what it's doing -- that's what counts. I learned veryearly the difference between knowing the name of something andknowing something. - Richard Feynman

It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous. - Robert Benchley

All the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway. - Harry S Truman

The only really good place to buy lumber is at a store where the lumber has already been cut and attached together in the form of furniture, finished, and put inside boxes. - Dave Barry

Sunday, 16 November 2008

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.2. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.3. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.4. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.5. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.6. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.7. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.8. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.9. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a-head.'10. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'11. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'12. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.13. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium, at large.14. A backward poet writes in-verse.15. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.16. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.17. Don't join dangerous cults. Practice safe sects!

“From Ralph Milton's RUMORS, a free Internet ‘e-zine’ for Christians with a sense of humor."

Saturday, 15 November 2008

An 11th grader from Canada set out to make the dream of degrading plastic bags come true as part of his school science project. A wildly successful endeavor he figures will make them decompose in just 3 months. This extraordinary young scientist named Daniel Burd identified two strains of naturally occurring microorganism bacteria, rarely found in nature, that actually do make plastic decompose. The charmingly named Sphingomonas serves as the primary decomposer with help from Pseudomonas. Well done Daniel! More from Treehugger

Friday, 14 November 2008

It's been more than a week since the historic election of Barack Obama, and the energy unleashed by his campaign and its supporters has yet to diminish. In fact, it seems to be getting stronger: last week the Obama transition team launched Change.gov, the transition site devoted to getting supporters involved in the administration.

On Change.gov, Americans can participate in governance on an unprecedented level (and this is just the beginning). President-Elect Obama, we think this could be the beginning of a beautiful worldwide friendship.

It's never too late to learn Old English poetry, and this site is just theplace to delve into this fascinating subject. Created by Murray McGillivrayat the University of Calgary, the site presents a wide range of Old Englishpoems and poetic lines in a very simplified and easy to use fashion. Thepurpose of this project is "to make useable and reliable texts of OldEnglish poems available in convenient form for students and scholars."Visitors can click on the "Old English Poetry" section to review a list ofall the poems by title. Also, visitors can view a list of the poems byoriginal manuscript, and they can also learn about the project's history aswell.

Wednesday, 5 November 2008

"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enoughto make them all yourself."

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

"How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we canstart now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely thateveryone, great and small, can make their contribution towardintroducing justice straightaway... And you can always, alwaysgive something, even if it is only kindness!"

-- Anne Frank

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, whenwork becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having,just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road,without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."

-- Arthur Conan Doyle

"Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes,playing a poor hand well."

-- Jack London

"One of the nice things about problems is that a good many ofthem do not exist except in our imaginations."

-- Steve Allen

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. Mystrength lies solely in my tenacity."

-- Louis Pasteur

"If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the abilityto get the other person's point of view and see things fromthat person's angle as well as from your own."

-- Henry Ford

"The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income taxreturn. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale."

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others

Monday, 3 November 2008

It wasn't so long ago many people in North America thought vegetarians were weird, lived in hippie communes and lived off of tofu and brown rice. Our cultural ideas have shifted enough in the last decade that this concept has mostly fallen away.

There's no question that more people are embracing a vegetarian diet, especially in the under 30 age group, but there is still some resistance. There are many people out there who are flummoxed by the idea of cooking and eating a meal without meat.

We'd like to change that.

The challenge this week: Eat just one dinner without meat or fish in it.

Sunday, 2 November 2008

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetablesof all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?"

And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugarfrom the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Womanunfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-friedsteak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil'sFood."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would nothave to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy centerinto chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger.Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

Welcome!

With almost 3,000 members, the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Canada. We have a straightforward mission..."To empower older adults to be active, to be involved and to age successfully."

We are a non-profit, registered charity. The GWSA partners with the City of Guelph in the operation of the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre, a state-of-the-art recreation facility.

The GWSA also operates in other locations such as the West End Community Centre, St. Paul's Lutheran Church and, in the not-too-distant future, will be a key Partner with the City in the design and use of the new South End Community Centre.

GWSA makes available some 90 organized programs, activities and services throughout the year as well as special events and public interest forums.

We are supported by the active participation of the more than 500 volunteers who make it all possible.

GWSA Golf Group

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GWSA Golf Group

If you are looking to play golf with fun loving golfers, then the Evergreen Seniors Golf group is the place for you.

Membership in the group provides an opportunity to play non-competitive golf at a variety of local courses at a discounted rate. The Evergreen Seniors Golf group plays every Monday, from the first Monday of May through to the last Monday of September. The golf season for our group concludes with a nine hole scramble and luncheon. A mini golf vacation to Niagara Falls in September is also available to members.

This is an all-inclusive club for seniors with many lady members, some husband and wife teams, some golfers that play nine holes and others that play eighteen. If you are a beginner, an average duffer or better golfer, you will enjoy the relaxed and fun atmosphere of this club.

All you need to do is be a registered member of the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association and pay a modest fee to join the golf group - for 2013, the fee is $10 + HST.